Black Sapphire
by VeneficaMelody
Summary: The night before her wedding, Usagi finds out about her mother's lover. Rater for yuri themes.


**Author's Notes**: This is just a little short that I wrote last night, while taking care of an old lady. 

This story contains material that may be objectional to some viewers. (Yuri; Shoujo Ai; Girl/Girl Love) 

"**Black Sapphire**" 

The last thing Usagi had expected was to get a call from Setsuna on the night before her wedding. Setsuna's urgent tone had left no question in Usagi's mind that it was necessary to meet with the Senshi of Time at the small, family-owned diner. Entering, Usagi looked around for the familiar green haired woman, spotting her at a table in the back, near the windows. 

"Setsuna," she said, drawing the older woman's attention away from the dark scenery outside the window. 

Garnet eyes snapped to encounter blue ones as Usagi took a seat across from her. "I called you here because I have something very important that you need to know," Setsuna said as she sipped at her tea. 

"What is it?" Usagi asked, ordering a Coke from the waitress before turning worried, serious eyes to her companion. 

Sighing -- the first show of emotion Usagi could ever remember seeing from the woman -- Setsuna helped herself to a roll from the basket on the table. Nibbling at it delicately, she murmured: "It concerns your mother, in the Silver Millennium. There was... a secret that few knew about." 

Frowning, Usagi shook her head. "What sort of secret?" 

"Your mother... She wasn't what she was portrayed to be." Slowly, the story began to be revealed. "Your birth was planned; it had to be done to gain an heir for the kingdom. Your father was carefully selected out of a database of eligible men in the Solar System, and after much debate, Serenity decided on the King of Venus." 

Shaking her head, Usagi denied it. "Minako's father? That's impossible!" 

"It's quite possible, my dear. After the Vesuvian queen heard of it, she wanted to stop it, but after she learned of Serenity's delicate situation, she relented. Aphrodite was not too possessive of her husband not to want the Moon Kingdom to fall without an heir." 

"But... Why didn't my mother marry, instead of dallying with a married man?" 

"She had no wish to marry. Serenity was in love with another; one whom she could never marry. Going to a man who was well-suited for breeding was imperative to the continued reign of the Moon Kingdom. Choosing the Vesuvian king was necessary; everyone understood that. Serenity's lover wouldn't have stood for her to marry another, anyway. Knowing that she was in another's bed was torment enough." 

"So why didn't she just have a child by the man she was in love with?" 

A pause. Then, quietly: "Did I say it was a man?" 

Usagi stilled, frowning at the woman. "Are you saying..." 

"That Serenity was in love with a woman? Yes." Ignoring Usagi's spluttered protests, Setsuna continued. "After your conception, no one spoke of your sire's identity, and it was better left that way. What were you told of your father, when you asked?" 

"I... Mama always said that he was killed in a war, before I was born. But... Why are you telling me this now, Setsuna? I find it so hard to believe that Mama was in love with another woman! She hardly seemed the type." 

"They never do," Setsuna said softly. "I myself was quite shocked to realize your mother's feelings. But after I did, I found it to be a pleasant thing, indeed." 

"Who... was my mother's lover?" 

The time guardian lowered her eyes before admitting: "Me." 

The one word rocked the foundation of Usagi's world, and she stared at the woman, speechless. To find out that her mother was a lesbian was one thing -- but to find out in the same moment that her lover was a trusted friend? It was almost too much for the young girl to process. "Why are you telling me this now?" she managed to force out. 

"You get married tomorrow, and somehow it feels wrong that you not know the truth. You needn't speak of this to Mamoru or the others." 

"Did they know?" 

"No... Serenity and I felt it best that as few people as possible knew of our situation. It was as unorthodox and frowned upon then as it is now; perhaps more so. It wasn't unheard of, of course, but for a queen and one of her powerful guardians to be 'unnatural'? It frightened people, really. What if they defied our relationship, and we attacked at full-force? They would be killed, and we would be alive and gloating. There was little they could do, except ignore it. Those that knew, at least." 

Looking down at the melting ice inside her Coke glass, Usagi ignored the waitress who came to ask if she wanted a refill, or any food. Answering for both of them, Setsuna waved the woman away with a wordless glare. She knew that Usagi would be reeling from the shock of the revelation, and she didn't want to cause her any undue stress. Although it was necessary that Usagi know the real circumstances behind her birth, Setsuna hadn't wanted to hurt her. 

"Usagi, are you all right?" 

It had been too long since the blonde had responded; Setsuna felt oddly to blame for the girl's silence. "It just doesn't make sense," she finally said. "How could my mother be... that way?" Her eyes flew to the time warrior. "And you! What purpose was there in hiding this for so long? If I had known..." 

"Would you have left Serenity's memory in the dust; to be forgotten because she was 'unnatural'? She did what she had to, Usagi. Do you blame her for choosing King Eros to be your father?" 

"He was no father," Usagi said strongly, unusual for her docile nature. "A father is supposed to be there for you; not donate his seed and leave! How many times did I treat King Eros as a kind uncle when he came with Minako? And now, to find that he was really my father! And Minako... Does this make her my sister?" 

"Half-sister," was the reply. 

Lowering her eyes, Usagi shifted nervously. How could she take this information in without at least a bit of anger? It wasn't right; having this secret kept for so long. "I am shocked that this information was never revealed to us. Did we deserve to remain in the dark, because we'd done something wrong somehow?" 

"It wasn't your fault... You couldn't know because of security reasons. King Eros didn't want another daughter to be clinging to him; wanting his fortune. Minako was enough; she would be a handful for anyone to deal with. But after time had passed, Eros regretted his decision. Nearing the fall of the Moon Kingdom, he tried to contest Serenity's parentage of you and take you to Venus, on the grounds that she was an unfit parent because of her relationship with me. Needless to say, Eros failed." 

"Why would he want to contest Mama's possession of me after all that time? I was sixteen! After sixteen years, why did he suddenly want to become a father?" 

"No one truly knew for sure -- those of who knew about the arrangement -- but it was decided that Eros grew tired of Minako's warrior spirit and longed for a docile daughter who would follow his commands." 

Usagi frowned. "I know that Minako's spirit in the Silver Millennium was far different than it was here, but... Do we count on these broken recollections for our past memories?" 

"Minako was a warrior; she did the name of Venus very proud in her days of fighting. But Eros didn't want his daughter to be a warrior; he wanted her to content herself with sewing, or reading by the fireside. That was where you came in. By the time he realized what a mistake he had made, Eros found it was too late to change the outcome." 

"Would he have married Serenity, if he hadn't been Aphrodite's husband?" 

"Perhaps. None of us really know for sure; it was a puzzling time. Especially between Serenity and myself. We knew little of the future, and what we did know was frightening. She only wished for your life to be a peaceful one, my dear." 

Usagi had never expected such a secret to be revealed when Setsuna had first asked her to meet her. The time guardian had always been so secretive; so cut off from the others. Usagi had never suspected that one of her reasons was because her relationship had remained a secret for so long. 

"None of the Senshi knew?" 

"No; it would have been too dangerous. If our enemies got wind of it somehow, I would be the obvious target in battle. If I was killed, they would be striking Serenity's weakness and the kingdom would fall easily. Because she wasn't married, many of those against us simply assumed that she had no such weakness. In fact, she was sometimes called the queen without a heart -- simply because our relationship was kept hidden." 

Without the practical mind of Ami, Usagi was at a loss for what to do. She had never thought to be faced with such a situation. "What do you expect of me?" she said hoarsely. "Do you anticipate banishment; death?" 

A frown creased Setsuna's brow. "I had hoped to forego the execution of such formalities. Haven't we been through too much just to kill me because I had an unorthodox relationship with your mother? We've fought side by side; I've saved your fiance's life." 

Usagi shook her head. "The Sailor Pluto that I knew would never have been involved with someone -- man or woman. Didn't she hold her duties above all else?" 

"Yes... But much of it was merely a mask so I was never questioned as I visited Queen Serenity at night." At Usagi's disgusted expression, she shook her head. "We merely spoke of what was in our hearts, little one. I understand that a physical relationship would obviously have been the next step, but Serenity and I never took it to that level. We wanted to wait until you were fully grown, with a husband to provide for you, before we truly committed ourselves physically." 

Looking down at the scuffed, Formica tabletop, Usagi nervously played with the end of one of her ponytails. "So... You and she never..." 

"Slept together? No. It wasn't that we didn't want to; we just felt that if news got to you, it would hurt you badly. You were just too innocent; too shielded from the outside world to handle the truth." 

Her world's foundation had been greatly shaken, but Usagi knew that it had taken far more courage than Usagi herself had to help Setsuna make these confessions. Accepting the other woman's words, Usagi left the restaurant, a bit shaky on her feet. 

'Too innocent to know that my mother and her guardian were in love?' Usagi wondered as she made her way down the sidewalk. It wasn't that the truth had been hidden from her, or even what the truth was that was making her upset. It was the fact that Setsuna had waited until now to reveal it. 

The soft glow of the streetlights overhead attracted bugs, and Usagi swatted at them half-heartedly as she made for the apartment that she shared with Mamoru. She had never imagined that such a secret had been lurking behind the mists that obscured the past. However, even if their memories hadn't been fragmented, they wouldn't have known of it. Setsuna had said that it had always remained a secret. 

Briefly, Usagi began to wonder if the Silver Millennium's fall had been because of Serenity's relationship with Setsuna, but quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind. 'I look a lot like Mother,' she mused as she let herself into the apartment with her key. 'Could Setsuna be thinking of me in the same way?' 

When Mamoru came up to her, she denied that anything was wrong, only saying that Setsuna wanted a bit of friendly chat before Usagi became a married woman. 

-------- 

That night, after Mamoru had fallen asleep, Usagi slipped to the window and gazed out at the crescent moon hanging low in the sky. "Mama," she whispered. "Why all the secrecy? I would never have turned away from you or Setsuna. You were my friends." 

No answers were forthcoming, but as she looked at the now-barren planet that had been her homeland, she felt an odd sense of peace. Secrets shielded by time; hidden just past the mists of yesterday, were meant to be kept secret. She knew that Setsuna had revealed the truth because she cared for Usagi's feelings. 

"Could I have married Mamoru without knowing the true reaches of my mother's heart?" she asked herself. 

The answer was a resounding "no." Usagi knew now that if Setsuna hadn't told her the truth, a small piece of her life would have always been missing. Now that she knew the secrets, she could marry Mamoru happily, without worrying about the past. 

"I can become queen as I was meant to," she said softly, looking at the man who would be her husband in just a few short hours. None of them had to know about Setsuna's relationship with Serenity; it just didn't matter anymore. 

------- 

I hope you'll all let me know how I did on this one. ;; It was a spur of the moment sort of thing. lol 


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